


A Short Reprieve

by SpiderWolf



Series: The Happy Peter Chronicles [2]
Category: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 18:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13172379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderWolf/pseuds/SpiderWolf
Summary: Peter shares a brief moment with Happy, and comes to a sobering realization.





	A Short Reprieve

Peter wakes up in a parking garage, wondering where he is, and why he’s laying on his back. He groans his discontent and reaches up to massage a sore spot over his left temple.  
  
“Woah, woah- hey!’ A firm hand catches his wrist mid-move; forcing Peter to look up. His fear dissipates immediately at the sight of Happy kneeling over him.  
“Um. Hey Hap.”  
  
Happy nudges Peter’s arm back to his side, and releases a shaky breath he’s clearly been holding for a while. “Hey yourself. How do you feel?”  
  
Peter takes a moment to consider that, but nothing jumps out; except for his throbbing head. He assumes that’s obvious enough to not mention. “Better?”  
  
Happy scrubs a hand over his face. “Jesus, kid… you nearly gave me a heart attack.”  
  
“I did?” He did? Peter squints up at Happy and notices a smudge of blood on the man’s chin. He blanches and reaches up to poke at it. “Happy, you’re hurt!”  
  
Again, the man swats his hand away. “That’s your blood, you idiot.”  
  
Oh. That would explain the whole ‘throbbing head’ thing. “Um… what…” What happened? What attacked them? How did he get hurt? The questions swirl in Peter’s head and he can’t stop the second groan that escapes his lips. This time when his hand gravitates to his head, Happy doesn’t stop him. “Hap, what happened?” And why does it feel like he head-butted something made out of vibranium?  
  
Happy answers without hesitation. “We were attacked by an armored idiot looking to settle a score with Tony. You stopped him, more or less, and Iron-Man chased him off - you don’t remember any of that first part?”  
  
Peter shakes his head, and regrets the movement immediately. “No, it’s just… a blank. I wish I could.”  
  
He’s shocked when Happy places a gentle hand on his shoulder. “He threw you into a support column. Don’t worry about it. Just… chill. Take a breather; or whatever kids your age do when you take it easy.”  
  
Peter’s mind snaps to something more important; something that eats away at him at a surprising speed. He can’t quite vocalize it, but his distress is fairly obvious, and Happy reflexively scoots forward.  
  
“What is it?” Happy asks at great length.  
  
Peter swallows hard, and fixes him with a look that he hopes, conveys the gravity of the situation. “What if he knows who I am, now? I wasn’t wearing my costume! He could go after Aunt May, or tell everyone who I am!”  
  
Happy squeezes his shoulder again, in a reassuring way, and Peter isn’t sure what to think of the man’s sudden influx of sentimentality. “Kid, even if he puts two and two together, he’ll only know your face, and that’s it.”  
  
Peter isn’t totally reassured, and wants to know more about what happened. “Um… why did I? I mean… I’ve never done that before. I have to wear my mask. Why wouldn’t I wear my mask?” He wants to panic, but he stops just shy of doing that; exhausted in his sudden effort just to sit up.  
  
Happy looks guiltier yet, and Peter’s wonders what could make him feel worst than the Coney Island debacle. The man clears his throat and looks away. “You had a pretty good reason to do what you did, so don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?”  
  
Peter grasps at a foggy memory of a five inch blade hovering near Happy’s throat, and a blinding primal rage that followed it. One part includes his foot coming down hard on a metal encased wrist, and a pained roar. Well, that explains a lot.  
  
“Maybe you should lay back down.” Happy suggests.  
  
Peter resists, and gets to his feet instead; only getting dizzy for a hot second, before he traces a trail of broken glass to the edge of the parking garage. He glances over the half wall, and down at an expansive front lawn. It’s impossible to miss the broken body of Happy’s town car; split over a fountain that is now spitting gallons of water out of its broken pipes. He recognizes the Avengers Compound immediately, and guesses that’s how Tony reacted so quickly to the attack.  
  
Happy joins him in staring down at the wreckage below. He bares a contemplative look on his face, but doesn’t comment on the sight. Peter struggles to understand. “What happened, Hap? Did the armored guy do that?”  
  
“Technically you hit him with it twice, before throwing him out on the lawn with it.”  
  
Peter stares down at the mess; absolutely appalled. “I’m so sorry Happy! I… I’ll pay you back-”  
  
His companion shrugs dismissively; still staring. “Better the car than you.”  
  
Peter doesn’t quite agree, but he does believe that Happy’s life is more important than anything else. If he’d been hurt, Peter would have flipped out. Judging by the damage he’s already dealt, that scenario nearly happened.  
  
“You do remember that Tony is a billionaire, right? He has dozens of cars.” Happy adds thoughtfully.  
  
Peter glances at him and feels a swell of emotions that he didn’t know he holds for the man. His eyes well with tears, and he scrubs at them in frustration. He might not remember the fight, but he remembers the fear of almost losing Happy.  
  
“There’s Iron Man.” Happy announces as he gestures south. The reflective reds and gold of Tony’s armor are impossible to miss in the rosy light of the descending sun, and Peter feels his heart skip.  
  
Seeing his window of opportunity closing, he launches himself forward and encompasses Happy in a bruising hug. “I’m glad that you’re not hurt.”  
  
Happy clears his throat, somewhere above Peter’s head, and gently pats the kid’s back; uncomfortable but sincere in his response. “Me too, kid. And thank you.”  
  
Peter squeezes him just a little tighter before pulling back; warmed by the affection he’s been shown, and absolutely certain that he will always act recklessly in the face of Happy getting hurt. He doesn’t feel bad about it at all.  
  
“Just… don’t do it again, okay?”  
  
“I promise.” Peter lies.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're Happy and you know it, clap your hands...  
> No, but really... Thank you for reading. Happy and Peter just make me smile.


End file.
